127 of 145 people (88%) found this review helpful51 people found this review funny

Recommended

10.1 hrs on record

Posted: November 22, 2014

The game that does absolutely everything right.

The soundtrack, moves, style, and simplistic, but yet awesome gameplay, all combine into a Tour de Force of pure and sinfully addictive pleasure. As a monumental testament to why you fell in love with computer games in the first place, it epitomizes gaming as a whole.

And like that unattainable and often-dreamed-about Time Machine which we all want so badly, it irrevocably and fondly reminds you of the best part of your life (before you had to handle unreasonable bills, incomprehensible taxes, dishonest politicians, heavy mortgages, sour spouses, moronic bosses, and r£t4rd3d neighbors, all doing their best to dull your senses, beat you into submission, rip your heart out with a wooden spoon, spit on your dreams, and generally make you suffer as much as possible) - as a kid playing games in the arcade, without a sorrow or a care in the world.

I'm here to say to you: It's gonna be okay, everything will be alright.

Because Double Dragon Neon is here to save you from it all. You might not believe me now, but you have to trust me, you just have to take that leap of faith, for this gem is everything - it's the best Time Machine, the greatest Pillow Fort and the sturdiest Tree House of gaming, all rolled into one. Not buying it is a crime, not to the developers and not to Steam - but to yourself.

This game deserves all your money tossed at it, and I do mean all of it. Forget rent this month, and remember that ramen can still be a great meal. Because, let's face it; you want another title from these people more than you need food or a roof over your head.

As an old-school twitch gamer, one of my better memories was consistently beating the original Double Dragon in arcades on a single quarter. It was one of the first arcade beat-em-ups and arguably one of the best of its time. Now WayForward has finally brought their reimagining of the franchise to PC after a console release in late 2012.

Pros:------ Neon introduces a few new concepts to the genre such as Gleam, which doubles your attack power for a short time after successfully dodging an attack and an upgrade system for magic attacks and passive bonuses in the form of mixtapes. The more of a mixtape you have, the more powerful that attack or bonus is. Enemies drop them, but you can also buy them from shops. Tapesmiths allow you to pick up more tapes in exchange for mythril, which you get from defeating bosses.- (Note: I played with an XBox 360 controller) While there are more button commands to get used to than the original, the controls feel very solid. Nothing seems janky or off. I suggest a quick glance at the Help screen to see all your available standard moves.- There is a good variety of enemies, some requiring a specific way to finish them off quicker than just mashing your punch button. Abobos are freakin' huge now!- Effects and voice acting are passable, but what really stands out is the soundtrack. Virt has done an amazing job making original songs for the game that have that definite 80's vibe and the remixing of the original game's tracks are very well done.- ONLINE CO-OP. It took the PC port of this game to get what console owners were promised over a year ago and never received, online co-op. Beat-em-ups are always 10x more fun with a friend, and with team powerups like sharing health that you can activate almost anytime by high-fiving your partner, it makes traversing the game easier as well.- Unlike the dark, gritty visuals of the original, this game goes for a brighter, cartoony aesthetic. This game knows its audience and opted for a campy, offbeat feel, almost making fun of the era it wants to copy, and it mostly works.

Cons:------ All these attacks at my command and NO BACK ELBOW? Anyone who played the original Double Dragon knows that move is your bread and butter for making progress in the game.- Graphics are alright and the game has a cartoony vibe, but nothing really stands out. Also, apart from resolutions and windowed/full screen mode, there's no graphical tweaking. I'm not saying a game like this really needs those options, but when you see them in nearly every PC game, it's noticeable when they're missing.

I feel this is one of WayForwards best games to date. Much like with DuckTales Remastered, they have honoured the source material while adding a modern flair. Join up with a friend and go save Marion!

Ahh, the 80's. The golden era of pop culture. It brought us many wonderful things such as the NES, Ray-Bans, Transformers, and bigass hair. It also brought us an arcade classic, a 2-player beat-em-up known as Double Dragon. It got everything right, from smashing gameplay to perfectly executed co-op mayhem. And now WayForward has stepped out of the DeLorean to hand us their throwback to the past: Double Dragon Neon. This magnificent tour-de-force blows the 80's head off with a rocket launcher, builds a cyborg out of it's corpse, and then puts said cyborg on a surfboard to the future to kick modern gaming convention in the cojones. All while listening to hair metal on a boombox. It has been a long time since I have seen a game that has this level of insanity taking itself with a gospel level of seriousness.

And what would Double Dragon be without the twin heroes, Billy and Jimmy Lee? WayForward has brought the original dudebros to life with amazingly detailed cel-shaded models. All the classic enemies are here, from the lowly street thug cannon fodder, leather-clad whip-cracking bondage babes, and the infamous Abobo. Add to that the main villian, Skullmageddon, who could easily be described as a skeletal version of The Shredder from TMNT. That is if The Shredder was batsh*t insane and on LSD. This guy is pure evil though, and he makes no bones about trying to pun you to death. On the music front, Jake Kaufman (AKA Virt) has brought the sound of the 80's back to life with a massively awesome mixture of vocal pop and hard rockin hits. The complete soundtrack is downloadable at his Bandcamp page for the low low price of NADA, so check it out!

The gameplay in Double Dragon Neon is largely unchanged from the original game, however there are a few new addons that change things up considerably. As you make your way through the game, defeated enemies will drop mixtapes. These audio treats come in two flavors, upgrade tapes that add to your stats, and Sōsetsuken tapes that add to your special attacks. Be sure to grab as many as you can, because you can stack each tape to further upgrade your stats and moves! The special attacks are quite varied, ranging from a classic cyclone kick to a hadouken-inspired fireball. Be sure to listen to each mixtape as well, the lyrics are quite funny.

I started out playing Double Dragon Neon expecting to play a decent remake of a beloved game. And what I got was an experience that far exceeded my expectations as WayForward has ripped the 80's a new one, and yanked this glorious beast out of the void. I honestly cannot find a single thing to complain about with this game. So if you are pining for the days of big music, bad puns, and beating the ever-loving crap out of big dudes named Abobo, Double Dragon Neon will NOT disappoint. And it's only gonna take up $10 of your hairspray budget!

74 of 88 people (84%) found this review helpful5 people found this review funny

Recommended

7.2 hrs on record

Posted: July 29, 2015

Double Dragon: Neon is a beat 'em up game which was released in 2012. It was released on PS3 and xBox360 before eventually coming to the PC in early 2014.

As with previous games in the Double Dragon series, you take control of a martial artist Billy if you are playing single player, whilst if you play two player, Jimmy Lee is also introduced. You are fighting to rescue a damsel in distress, Marian, from the Shadow Warrior gang. You start the game on the streets, and you progress to different locations which has a pretty wide variety, ranging from out of space, to grave yards.

All of the classic beat'em up controls are here; punch, kick and dodge mechanics all to be found. Sadly there isn't any sort of combos which I thought was a slight let down, but you do get the addition of being able to pick up different music tracks which gives you special bonus' and perks which can add some interesting ideas into the mix. Whilst you progress through the game; you'll also find multiple copies of the same music tracks which will then act as an increase to it instead meaning you will end up swapping to different tracks quite easily depending on the situation at hand. The gameplay is at times slow paced, the characters normal movement speed is slow, and the "run" function feels very clunky to use as it can take a second for your character run because of the animation.

Graphically Double Dragon Neon looks OK. Whilst it is nothing special, it does work well. All of the fighting animations are nicely done, as well as some of the special abilities, and the backgrounds to each zone are very well presented as well.

There is pretty much hardly any story elements to this game; the only real bit of story you get is at the start of the game and the end, everything else in between is sort of filler and has no real relevance to the plot, which I thought was a little bit of a shame.

This is another game which has a heavy focus on the sound track, each of the music tracks you pickup throughout the game will change the music being played, since the game is set in the 1980s era, you should expect that kind of music to be played. I have to say, the credits features probably one of the funniest songs I have heard; finishing the game is worth it just for that track alone.

Double Dragon Neon can be hard, I died a lot in this game until I reached a point where I had found the perfect combination of tracks to use in order to make me be pretty much a walking killing machine, I was able to one shot most enemies and it became a walk in the park, up until that point though, there is a pretty high challenge on offer. I would say until level 7 or 8, you will die quite a bit, and maybe later in the game if you choose different tracks.

A full playthrough of Double Dragon Neon will take you roughly around three hours give or take a little. For what you are paying for here, I am happy with that amount of time, as what it does do, it does it very well. You unlock harder difficulties as you finish the main game once, so that can add some replay ability, as well as the feature of local co-op which is also immensely enjoyable.

I didn't have any technical issues whilst playing; a controller is highly recommended and works very well, fully supported. You'll find the game running at 60fps which is always nice to see on a console port too.

I can recommend Double Dragon: Neon; it's one of the better fighting/beat'em up games out there on PC, and for the price of £6,99, you can't really go wrong. The game has been known to go as low as around £1 on external sites, so keep your eye out for a mega bargain!

Tom's Score Card1) Stay away2) Only recommended when on sale3) Recommended4) Highly recommended5) This is a must play

You can find a YouTube play list for my playthrough Double Dragon Neon here: (which videos will be added daily)

52 of 59 people (88%) found this review helpful2 people found this review funny

Recommended

17.4 hrs on record

Posted: September 26, 2014

I've read and heard many criticisms about this game and do not quite understand them. I will try and address them and give my opinion as to why this is probably one of the top three Double Dragon games.

**Graphics:Solid art design, although some of the enemies are a bit more cartoony than previous DD designs, the colors, backgrounds, animations and effects are pretty solid. The game mixes 3D models with the occasional 2D background object, The alley level is particularly nice. Varied environments and enemies with vibrant colors.

**Sound:Great remixes of classic double dragon tunes and some new additions. Music and sounds are near flawless in this game. Some may loathe the voice acting, but for the tone they're going for, it's appropriate.

**Controls:The game controls solidly for me. A lot of "Double Dragon veteran" players have criticized how slow and heavy the Lee brothers move, but I think they haven't played DD for a while. DD was always a slower, more methodical game than other beat 'em ups. Neon is actually a little bit faster (go check youtube, watch Super Double Dragon, or DD II). The dodge button is responsive, although you're vulnerable if you execute some moves. The dash is not instant unlike DD Advance and DD3, and that can be a cause for some headaches.

**Gameplay:The game has a lot of moves, and some combos . Clever players can find ways to juggle opponents multiple times and incorporate grabs and special moves while doing so. The Lee brothers have mixtapes that grant abilities and special moves like fireballs, hurricane kicks, etc. You can't steamroll through waves of enemies thoughtlessly though, as enemies have some moves with "armor", not many, but it does require some recognition on the player. Players who dodge attacks correctly get a temporary buff. It's a nice addition, though not as satisfying as Super Double Dragon's parry and grab mechanics from blocking.

**Verdict: For Insider: 8/10I've played every iteration of Double Dragon, even the three fighting games (if you count Rage). I knew exactly what to expect from this game. I give it an 8/10. I've beaten it in normal and Dragon difficulty, working on replaying it again to do so in Double Dragon difficulty (which is quite hard). Highly recommend it.

For Casual: 6/10Don't even listen or Read IGN's super ignorant review of this game. It's a solid game if you like slower methodical beat' em ups. My wife is an RPG, Strategy game gamer and was able to beat this game a few times with me. She enjoyed the humor and although she doesn't always play beat 'em ups, she really enjoyed this one. 6/10

For newer fans to the genre: 3/10 to 5/10These fans will probably hate this game the most. If you're used to the speed of Castle Crashers and want to blow through enemies with fast attacks and screen clearing moves this game is not like that. Watch some of the youtube videos for this game, but approach with caution.

** Extras InfoGame's tone is different from prior DD games, at first I was frustrated by this as I wanted a serious DD game, but the game did get more than a few laughs out of me. There are plenty of easter eggs and references to 80s-90s games and culture.

Classic Beat Em Up fun. Extremely hard if you're alone, Bro-Op makes it a lot easier obviously. This is a great game that rewards skill and creativity with a somewhat lenient engine. If you're a Double Dragon fan, give it a try, it should be worth your time.

43 of 50 people (86%) found this review helpful1 person found this review funny

Recommended

6.8 hrs on record

Posted: December 28, 2014

Having grown up with the NES and SNES / Sega Genesis Double Dragon series, I was coming into this game with high expectations.

At first I was disappointed as the core game play mechanics have changed, however after giving it a second chance I can see the merit of the changes.

Overall the game doesn't live up to the originals, that might be because I'm older now or for any number of reasons. But none the less its still a great game, and I would recommend it to any one who is a fan of the genre.

One thing that threw me off and is one of my favorite aspects of the game is the amazing sound track. The music is top notch, and I would love to know where to get the sound track.

39 of 47 people (83%) found this review helpful7 people found this review funny

Recommended

8.1 hrs on record

Posted: January 17, 2015

Double Dragon: Neon is an odd case. This isn't really like the arcade games, it's more of an action-rpg with beatemup elements. Yeah I know, it's confusing isn't it? Just hear(read) me out. Technos Japan, the original developer of Double Dragon, also created the Kunio-Kun franchise. Remember NES classics like Super Dodgeball and River City Ransom? That's Kunio-Kun. Neon is a combination of RCR and DD. You collect or purchase and upgrade mix-tapes to improve your stats as well as use special abilities. This game is made up of 10 missions, all of them linear, with a structure that mostly adheres to the arcade games.

Now if you just want a straight-up Double Dragon beatemup without all of that RPG nonsense, I'd suggest Double Dragon Advance (GBA). It is in my opinion the best entry in the classic series. In any case, we're strictly talking about Neon for the rest of this review.

Some days it just doesn't pay to hang out in front of your boyfriend's garage, as Marian gets kidnapped AGAIN. This time around the villain is a lovely chap by the name of Skullmageddon. A silly name deserves a silly character, and he's all that and more. This is the goofiest and most 80s entry in the series. Along with a ton of familiar names (with not so familiar faces), there are a handful of new enemies and bosses to contend with. Aesthetically this game is very well-done, with a truly excellent soundtrack that elevates it to another level.

Since these days it apparently isn't enough to make a game about beating hundreds of people up, Neon features RPG elements. Trying to ignore them in search of a "legitimate" challenge will just frustrate and anger you. There are 20 mix-tapes, 10 are special moves, 10 function as stat-boosting equipment. You can switch mix-tapes at any moment in the game. It's strategic in a sense. You can switch to a magic-boosting tape and fling a few fireballs, then switch to your absorb tape to replenish some health. You can even micro-manage like you're playing a JRPG with an ATB (active-time-beatemup) system.

The actual fighting is comparable to the previous games, although slightly stiffer. Some moves have been changed around or removed, but classics such as the flying knee and spin-kick are always handy. The most important move is the duck. When you duck an enemy's attack at the right moment, you get the glow and do 4x damage for a few seconds. Also while ducking you can do an evasive roll. This is an extremely useful move to master. Overall the fighting is standard, but it's enjoyable. It could be more satisfying I suppose, but juggling an enemy never gets old.

As you'd expect from a Double Dragon game, Billy and Jimmy can team up some brotastic bro-op fun. Just don't expect much if you attempt to play online. I've tried hosting a few times and the results were pitiful. Players would jump on, play for a minute or two, and then just leave. I'm not sure what the deal is here. I've read that the online doesn't function properly, or it has issues with certain machines, or it only works when it's raining in Georgia. Whatever the case, it's a darn shame that more people can't enjoy this game online, it's way more fun with a friend. There's always local-play at least.

There are other issues with the PC port, such as memory leakage, crashes, and so on. I didn't really experience anything firsthand, so I guess I lucked out. While there was a patch early last year, it apparently didn't go far enough in fixing the game. Abstraction Games, the team responsible for the Neon port, had ONE TESTER working on it.

What the Butt?ONE TESTER!

I couldn't believe it. Let's figure this out.While the PC can be considered an easy platform to develop for, you have to account for a multitude of variables. How do you expect to make a game that's compatible with every PC, when it was only tested with one?

Another problem with having ONE TESTER is that Double Dragon is an online co-operative game. You can't possibly expect ONE person to test a TWO player game...can you?

At the very least a beta-test should have been done. It's not like volunteers are that hard to come by. Hell, it seems like these days we're all beta-testers (especially whenever a new Assassin's Creed is released). It'd be nice to beta-test a game for free instead of paying for it. Wow...ONE TESTER...I just can't get over that.

All in all Double Dragon Neon is a good game. Its quasi-beatemup/RPG elements give it it a rather unique spin, and I can't recommend the soundtrack enough. Just do some research, hold your breath, and hope for the best if you plan on getting this port. It just might crash and burn on you.

Double Dragon Neon (PC version) is a very hard game to review. On one hand the gameplay itself is varied, and offers more ways to defeat enemies than have ever been possible in the franchise (Super Double Dragon or Battletoads/Double Dragon Ultimate Team). Wayforward defintely has its heart in the right place. On the other hand, the game is frustrating to play for all the wrong reasons and will probably turn away potential players.

For what it gets right, Double Dragon Neon is a very stylish nod to the 1980's and all the cheesiness bravado that was found in arcade video games during this era. DD Neon employs an experience system and offers shops to spend money/ore you collect in levels, much like the Game Boy Advance version of TMNT via UbiSoft. The PC version offers various resolutions, and offers very smooth 60 fps beautiful cell shaded animation and graphics. The soundtrack here is probably the best original score for its release back in 2012, and offers throwbacks to the 80's with very catchy lyrics accompanied by synthesizers and drum machine beats. The game also is very leniant with how combos work, allowing for mid-air catches and throws while allowing for moves that involve running or crouching. Overall, the combat (and screen clearing attacks) are more reminscent to Streets of Rage than classic Double Dragon (or its many sequels or spinoffs).

For what the game gets wrong is heartbreaking. Billy and Jimmy Lee are incredibly sluggish when controlling around, and its made more frustrating when you have to dodge telegraphed boss attacks that can (and will) juggle you in the air or in the corner; effectively draining your health and losing a precious life (lose all your lives and restart the entire mission over). There are sections in the end where its uncommon to fall off cliffs because you weren't fast enough to dodge a whirlwind attack and lose precious health (losing lives would have been much worse).

The coop aspect makes more sense when playing local coop, because the coop here is very weak especially in this "definitive edition" PC port. Stealing lives, sharing diet coke health pickups, and allowing the other player to collect 1-ups is essential for this very hard game (even when using the 'training wheels' tape)....so its too bad none of this can be done effectively in the PC port. The PC version supports no text or voice chat whatsoever, so playing with a random person in Steam matchmaking is hit or miss.

When joining as a client, it's no help that the game still has issues with latency (overall performance on the zombie forest stage is horrible even in single player)...online play is functional....but reduces frame rates to about 25ish with all the stuttering and teleporting (online code as of 7/2/14).

Abstration Games have pretty much done little work to get this port to the PC, as evident in the very confusing key assigning in the options (good luck seeing that its Tab key to even get in there with keyboard controls) or the obtuse indicator for reviving your coop buddy via rewinding his tape (good luck seeing that its done with your throw key). Save yourself the frustration and don't bother playing this game with a keyboard, because the devs clearly just pushed this out the door with an Xbox controller in mind.

Overall, this game just barely wins a recommendation from me clearly on the presentation and solid combat while playing single player or local coop. Game offers a lot of little fun things to do with a coop partner (one player beatboxes and the other breakdances), and its clearly meant as a local coop game. The problems from the console release are here for the most part, and I can't really recommend this version of the game if you want to play online (while your online partner is very far away or has a subpar internet connection). If anything, pick this game up when it goes on Steam sale.